Extensible conveyors



9 CRAGGS sfrm. 2,846,050

' EXTENSIBLE CONVEYORS Filed Dec 20, 1956 INVENTOR. Joseph Craggs BY Keith Mc Cann ATTORNEY United States Patent Q M EXTENSIBLE CONVEYORS Joseph Craggs and Keith McCann, Taylor-ville, IlL, as-

signors to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chi= cago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 20, 1956, Serial No. 629,663

6 Claims. (Cl. 198-139) This invention relates generally to extensible conveyors and more particularly to improvements whereby additional troughing roller assemblies for the load carrying reach may readily be placed on the wire rope strands forming the framing structure of the conveyor.

In Craggs et a1. application, Ser. No. 549,603, filed November 29, 1955 for Extensible Conveyor there is disclosed a crawler tread mounted tail section following the advance of a working face, the head section shown paying out additional lengths of belt in accordance with such advance, and the tail section paying out additional lengths of wire rope for supporting the conveying reach. Ordinarily such conveyors are arranged with support stands spaced at twenty foot intervals, with a spreader suspended on the rope strands midway thereof. In such arrangements the troughing roller assemblies supporting the loaded reach and transmitting the load into the rope strands are disposed between the support standard and the spreader at the two and one-half foot and seven and one-half foot points.

As the length of the conveyor is increased by the advance of the tail section, additional stands and spreaders must be placed at regular intervals, preferably, with the troughing roller assemblies therebetween. The rope strands are generally arranged to be spooled on storage reels at the sides of the tail section, below the plane of the loaded reach, and it is a far simpler matter to suspend the assembly at such points, rather than adjacent the spreader or stand next outby of the tail section where the strands are above the belt reach. However, as the tail section pays out additional rope strand, there is no positive way of assuring that the assemblies are located nicely at right angles to the rope strands for proper belt training, nor is it possible to space them along the strands as would be desired.

According to the present invention, the assemblies (preferably a pair of them) are suspended across the rope strands closely adjacent to the tail section. These are connected to a chain or cable of known length secured to an outrigger extending from each side of the section, and as the section advances the assemblies remain fixed on the strands. When taut, the chain attached to each end of the assembly maintains the assembly in the proper right angle relationship, and at times when the tail section is paying out strand sliding the assembly along the strands. When the proper spacing is noted, the assembly is disconnected and then staked in position on the strands, the next assembly being likewise handled for its proper spacing and staking on the strands.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is a principal object of this invention to provide an improvement in extensible conveyors whereby the troughing roller assemblies may be readily disposed in proper position on the wire rope support strands.

Another object is to provide a construction whereby the troughing roller assemblies can be suspended upon 2,846,050 ifatented Aug. 5, 1958 the wire rope strands of-such a conveyor and whereby the assemblies can be moved relative to the strands upon the increase in length of the conveyor and subsequently placed in proper position for the support of the load carrying reach.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the specification following taken with the drawing which together show and describe a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teachings herein, and such other embodiments are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope and spirit of the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an extensible conveyor having the improvements according to the present invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view to an enlarged scale of a portion of the movable tail or inby section of such conveyor, and showing means according to the present invention whereby the troughing roller assemblies may be properly placed in position upon the wire rope strands;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detailed side elevation view to an enlarged scale showing the engagement of the mounting bracket of a troughing roller assembly arranged to be moved into proper position along the wire support strand, and showing details of a trailing flexible connection from the tail section to such assembly whereby the movement of the tail section in an extending direction of the conveyor will move the assembly to proper position.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawing the improvement according to the present invention is embodied in an extensible conveyor indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 and having a head or outby section 11 and an inby or tail section 12 mounted for movement upon crawler treads 13. The outby section 11 includes a driving pulley 14 for an endless belt reversed in direction about an idler pulley 15 at the tail section and having a load carrying reach 16 and a return reach 17, see Fig. 3.

The head section 11 and the tail section 12 have extending therebetween laterally spaced wire rope strands 18 anchored at 19 to the head section 11 and snubbed about snubbing rollers 21 and 22, see Fig. 2, at the inby or tail section 12, each rope 18 being wound upon a storage reel 23 mounted to the side of the tail section. Details of mechanism for imposing the proper amount of tension upon each wire rope 18, and for paying out same in accordance with the advance of the tail section 12 may be as disclosed in an application of Hardy et al., Serial No. 541,162, filed October 18, 1955 for Extensible Conveyor. Details of such mechanism forms no part of the present invention and so need not be recited here.

The two laterally spaced support strands 18, 18 are supported upon the standards 24 spaced at regular intervals throughout the length thereof. The load on the conveying reach 16 is transmitted into the support strands 18 by troughing roller assemblies referred to generally by the reference numeral 26, and as disclosed more clearly in Craggs et al. Patent No. 2,773,257, Conveyor Having Flexible Strand Side Frames and Troughing Roller Assembly Therefor. As an alternate form of such support and spacing of the support strands 18, alternate support standards 24 may be replaced by spreaders as shown in LoPresti et al., Serial No. 521,772, filed July 13, 1955, for Rope Frame Conveyor with Controlled Belt Troughing.

. One of the problems heretofore attendant upon placing the troughing roller assembly in its proper position in spaced relationship to the support standard next outby of the tail section 12 has been by reason of the fact that the spaced rope strands 18 are ordinarily in a plane above the plane of the load carrying reach. This would require of the operators'the placing of one end of the troughing roller assembly 26 at a mounting bracket 27 therefor on one of the rope strands 18 and snaking the assembly 26 beneath the loaded reach 16, and connecting the other end of the assembly at its bracket 27 to the opposite strand. Such an operation requires of the operators manual pulling in of the strands on each side of the standard 24 or spreader, if the latter be used, as seen in Fig. 1. Moreover, the load on the reach 16 does not aid the efforts to place the assembly in the proper position. Another difliculty in carrying on the operations described has been that of properly locating the assembly at right angles to the conveying reach before staking the assembly in position. All of the aforementioned difliculties'have been obviated by a construction as will now be described.

As seen in Fig. 3, the support strands 18 extend in a downward direction from'the support stand 24 next outby of the tail section 12 to be wrapped about'thesnubbing sheaves 21 and 22. The-conveying reach 16 ordinarily follows its straight line path in a direction from'the idler roller seen in Fig. -l,-and it is apparent that the rope strands 18 lie in a plane which is lower than theplane'of the edges of the loaded belt reach 16. At a point near the outby end of the tail section 12 it is possible to-suspend a pair of troughing assemblies from the support strands 18. This may also'readily be done While a support standard is located at a point spaced but a little-from the outby end of the tail section 12.

As the tail section 12 advances, the roller assemblies mounted in proximity thereto move with the support strands 18 as they are unwound from the storage reel 23. Means are provided for limiting the movement away from the tail section 12 at which time the troughing roller assemblies will slide on the strands 18 until properly spaced from the support standard or spreader next outby of the tail section 12. p

The tail section 12 accordingly has an outrigger 28 at each side thereof to which is connected a flexible chain or cable 29, see also Fig. 4, having a hook 31 engageable with the bracket 27 between the limbs thereof and a second similar hook 32 likewise engageable with the bracket 27 of the troughing roller assembly closer to the tail section 12, as seen particularly in Figs. 2"and 3.

Referring now to Fig. 1, when the troughing roller assembly 26 is properly located with respect to the support strand next outby of the tail section 12 the book 31 of each flexible chain 29 is disengaged from the bracket 27. At such time the troughing roller assembly is properly oriented in a position normal to the direction of the load carrying reach 16, and at such time the assembly can be staked in position as is shown in the aforesaid Craggs et al. patent.

As the conveyor increases its length by movement of the tail section 12 in an inby direction, the troughing roller assembly closer to the tail section 12 can move with respect to the support cables 18 by reason of the drag imposed by its associated flexible cable or chain 29 until the closer assembly has assumed its proper spacing with respect to the assembly previously described, and which by now has been staked in position on the cable 18.

As the tail section continues its advance a new support standard 24 or spreader maybe spaced in position with respect to the support strands 18, another pair of troug ing roller assemblies being spaced upon the strands 18 as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and connected to the flexible chain 29, whereupon the operation can be repeated as before.

Apparatus according to the present invention makes itpossible for the operators readily to vplace the troughing roller assemblies upon the support strands with a minimum of difficulty. Each assembly will be oriented properly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the loaded reach, the operators need merely to disconnect the hooks 31 or 32 from the assembly when each is in its proper position.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof its scope is intended to be limited only by the claims here appended.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an extensible conveyor of the type employing a pair of spaced rope strands for supporting the load carrying reach of an endless belt, a movable end section including means thereon for paying out rope strand in accordance withthe increase in length of the conveyor, troughing roller assemblies for transmitting the load on said reach into said strands, the improvement in said conveyor whereby said troughing roller assembly can be located in proper position on said rope strands comprising a bracket at each end of said assembly for mounting same on said strands in position close to said movable'end section, a detachable flexible connection between each bracket and said movable section, said flexible connections moving said troughing roller assemblies along said strands to a desired position before being disconnected.

2. In an extensible conveyor of the type employing a pair of spaced rope strands for supportingthe load carrying reach of an endless belt, a movable end section including means thereon for paying out rope strand in accordance with the increase in length of the conveyor, troughing roller assemblies for transmitting the load on said reach into said strands, the improvement in said conveyor whereby said troughing roller assemblycan be located in proper position on said rope strands comprising means at each end of said assembly for connecting same to said strands in position close to said movable end section, a detachable flexible connection between each of said means and said movable section, said flexible connections moving said troughing roller assemblies along said strands to a desired position before being disconnected.

3. In an extensible conveyor of the type employing a pair of spaced rope strands for supporting the load carrying reach of an endless belt, a movable end section, means for paying out rope strand in accordance with the increase in length of the conveyor, troughing roller assemblies for transmitting the load on said reach into said strands, the improvement in said conveyor whereby said troughing roller assembly can be located in proper position on said rope strands comprising a bracket at eachend of said assembly for mounting same on said strands in position close to said movable end section, a detachable flexible connection between each bracket and said movable end section, said flexible connections moving said troughing roller assemblies along said strands to a desired position before being disconnected.

4. In an extensible conveyor of the type employing a pair of spaced rope strands for supporting the load carrying reach of an endless belt, a movable end section, means for paying out rope strand in accordance with the increase in length of the conveyor, troughing roller assemblies for transmitting the load on said reach into said strands, the improvement in said conveyor whereby said troughing roller assembly can be located in proper position on said rope strands comprising means ateach end of said assembly for connecting same to said strands in position close to said movable end section, a detachable flexible connection between each of said means :and said movable section, said flexible connections moving said troughing roller assemblies along said strands to a desired position before being disconnected.

5. In an extensible conveyor of the type employing a pair of spaced rope strands for supporting the load carrying reach of an endless belt, a movable end section including means thereon for paying out rope strand in.

accordance with the increase in length of the conveyor, troughing roller assemblies for transmitting the load on said reach into said strands, the improvement in said conveyor whereby said troughing roller assembly can be located in proper position on said rope strands comprising a bracket at each end of said assembly for mounting same on said strands in position close to said movable end section, a detachable connection between each bracket and said movable section, said connections moving said troughing roller assemblies along said strands to a desired position before being disconnected.

6. In an extensible conveyor of the type employing a pair of spaced rope strands for supporting the load carrying reach of an endless belt, a movable end section, means for paying out rope strand in accordance with the increase in length of the conveyor, troughing roller assemblies for transmitting the load on said reach into said strands, the improvement in said conveyor whereby said troughing roller assembly can be located in proper position on said rope strands comprising means at each end of said assembly for mounting same on said strands in position close to said movable end section, a detachable connection between each of said means and said movable section, said connections moving said troughing roller assemblies along said strands to a desired position before being disconnected.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,748,301 McKinlay Feb. 25, 1930 

